fell asleep easily -

The Croatian handball team at the World Championships in Sweden and Poland continues its journey despite a heavy defeat by Egypt (31:22) in the opening match on Friday Hrvoj Horvat's team did not have much time to recover, first of all mentally, and then physically from one of the the biggest defeats in Croatian handball

Tonight at 8:30 p m

, the Cowboys will take the field as favorites against the unknown USA, which is new in the handball world Admittedly, today's sport shows us that there are no favorites, and the Americans showed it by recording a surprising victory against Morocco in the first round

Coach Hrvoje Horvat reflected on his impressions after Egypt The road to the quarter-finals now seems almost impossible? - We have to stay positive and try to win the remaining two games in the group first, and then we would see what will happen in the second round, in Malmö

I know that Denmark, among others, would be waiting for us there, the national team in a rush defending the world title However, I hope that the match with Egypt will remain the only bad one at this World Cup and that the guys, like us from the coaching staff, will do our best to correct this bad impression - Horvat pointed out

Fans came in large numbers and left disappointed Something similar happened in 2002 when Croatia played its first match at the European Championship against Yugoslavia and lost by 12 points

Photo: PIXSELL 13 01

2023, Jonkoping, Sweden - World Handball Championship, Group G, Croatia - Egypt Photo: Pixsell/PIXSELL - Honestly, I feel most sorry for the fans We had support as if we were playing at home

I know that we disappointed them and we will do everything to cheer them up in the next matches - emphasized the coach Was there even time for any analysis of the meeting with Egypt? - Slightly

The worst thing is that they didn't surprise us with anything However, all shots went in with them, even some impossible ones

We stopped their transition, they didn't score a single goal from a half counter or counter attack, but they scored a lot of goals for us from outside positions Zein shot in the first half, Elederaa in the second, and in the end we were finished off by their right wing players who hit all eight of the eight shots

Following us today is the USA, a national team that has two points, and we have none - We will do everything to achieve the first victory in Jönköping, a city where we have lost all seven so far, counting the three competitions we have played here, the World Cup, the European Championship and the World Championship

We haven't analyzed their game yet, but I know they have a great left winger, fast medium and that the ball often goes towards the line - said the coach Photo: PIXSELL 13

01 2023, Jonkoping, Sweden - World Handball Championship, Group G, Croatia - Egypt Photo: Pixsell/PIXSELL Will there be changes in the lineup? - I believe he will

The only one not ready yet is Mate Šunjić, who is having difficulties with a minor injury Šarac and Grahovac will probably be in a combination for the match against the USA - added Horvat

We have played the Americans only once so far, at the 2001 World Cup in France The coach was Josip Milković, we played in the group, in Besançon and won 41:12

Well, it's not like we're suddenly afraid of the USA, a country that doesn't really have any handball tradition Admittedly, it is certain that they have improved a lot since Robert Hedin, the former great winger of the Swedish national team, became the coach

but far from the fact that we have to fear in that match as well No one fell asleep easily - It's not easy for anyone after such a shocking defeat

I believe that none of the players fell asleep easily, and I believe that some of them did not fall asleep even deep into the night I may sound ridiculous, but the defense did a good job

In the attack, we missed some shots that took us to an unattainable deficit We tried to come back, but we were simply unlucky in some situations

We have received some hits that go in once and never again We must concentrate on the USA, we must forget Egypt as soon as possible and try to get out of an impossible situation - pointed out captain Domagoj Duvnjak

Željko Musa was somewhat more critical than the captain - Nothing was good, neither defense nor attack, but life goes on

We can cry now until doomsday, but we lost the points Now let's do everything we can to try to reach the quarterfinals

We have chosen a difficult path, not difficult, too difficult, but let's at least show that we can Croatian handball will not fail because of this one defeat

I haven't been reading comments after games for a long time, but I can't agree that we are in some kind of free fall and that this is the end of everything It is not and should not be! - Željko Musa was clear

Winning with as many goals as possible is an absolute imperative, and you will be able to watch the match, which starts at 8:30 p m

, on the Večernji list portal, and the television broadcast will be on RTL, where the opening show starts at 7:45 p m

GROUP G COUPLES 1st round Morocco - USA 27:28 Croatia - Egypt 22:31 1 Egypt 1 1 0 0 31:22 2 2

USA 1 1 0 0 28:27 2 3 Morocco 1 0 0 1 27:28 0 4

Croatia 1 0 0 1 22:31 0 Pairs of the 2nd round: Croatia - USA (Sun, 20:30), Egypt - Morocco (Sun, 18) Pairs of the 3rd round: Croatia - Morocco (Tuesday, 8:30 p m

), Egypt - USA (Tuesday, 18) overview of the results Neighbors Slovenians defeated hosts Poland, and neighbors hungarians prepared a surprise for the evening, here's what non-neighbors did AFTER THE DEFEAT HRS announced an unexpected message: 'You can't run away from the truth We don't even run away from insults' in handball, the French overcame the Saudis, Vujović offered dangerous resistance to "his" Montenegro

- I believe he will The only one not ready yet is Mate Šunjić, who is having difficulties with a minor injury Šarac and Grahovac will probably be in a combination for the match against the USA - added Horvat We have played the Americans only once so far, at the 2001 World Cup in France The coach was Josip Milković, we played in the group, in Besançon and won 41:12 Well, it's not like we're suddenly afraid of the USA, a country that doesn't really have any handball tradition Admittedly, it is certain that they have improved a lot since Robert Hedin, the former great winger of the Swedish national team, became the coach but far from the fact that we have to fear in that match as well No one fell asleep easily - It's not easy for anyone after such a shocking defeat I believe that none of the players fell asleep easily, and I believe that some of them did not fall asleep even deep into the night I may sound ridiculous, but the defense did a good job In the attack, we missed some shots that took us to an unattainable deficit We tried to come back, but we were simply unlucky in some situations We have received some hits that go in once and never again We must concentrate on the USA, we must forget Egypt as soon as possible and try to get out of an impossible situation - pointed out captain Domagoj Duvnjak Željko Musa was somewhat more critical than the captain - Nothing was good, neither defense nor attack, but life goes on We can cry now until doomsday, but we lost the points Now let's do everything we can to try to reach the quarterfinals We have chosen a difficult path, not difficult, too difficult, but let's at least show that we can Croatian handball will not fail because of this one defeat I haven't been reading comments after games for a long time, but I can't agree that we are in some kind of free fall and that this is the end of everything It is not and should not be!